We're All Mad Here
by Miss. RoseGold
Summary: Alice: Madness Returns AU – They all thought she was mad, but she knew that what she saw was real. Her Wonderland was being corrupted by malevolent forces and her mind along with it. She knew that in order to preserve what was left of her sanity – she would have to confront her demons and destroy them. Every last one of them.
1. The Doctor

**We're all Mad Here**

 **Summary:** _Alice: Madness Returns AU – They all thought she was mad, but she knew that what she saw was real. Her Wonderland was being corrupted by malevolent forces and her mind along with it. She knew that in order to preserve what was left of her sanity – she would have to confront her demons and destroy them. Every last one of them._

 **Parings:** Greens(?) and some Blues and Reds if you squint.

 **Playlist:** _Silent Hill - Alessa's Harmony_

 **Authors note:** Happy Halloween everyone! Stay safe and enjoy this twisted wonderland tale! Alice: Madness Returns plot and idea's do not belong to me, and The Powerpuff Girls do not belong to me and as always, they have human appendages.

The girls do not have their powers in this and the time period is set in the late 19 century – probably late 1880's or something along those lines.

(Also, seeing how this conveniently lines up with Carrie's birthday, I suppose one could say that this is my birthday gift to her. 😉 Happy Birthday Carrie! Hope you have a great one girl! – much love, your faithfull Rose xoxox)

 **Part 1 out of 5**

* * *

 **The Doctor**

.

XxX

 _Tick tock._

 _Tick tock._

 _Tick tock._

 _Tick…_

 _Tock…_

 _Tick…_

" _Buttercup? Buttercup can you hear me?"_ The voice was far off and distant. The girl groaned to herself.

Yes. Yes, she did hear the deep, rich voice that sounded like velvet to her ears, but she would rather not have. She was content to stay floating weightlessly in this dark limbo she was presently in for a little while longer.

" _Buttercup, it's time to get up… Come back to me… come back to reality..."_

Lime green eyes opened with a start, and the girl bolted up-right off of the wide, soft sofa she was laying on, breathing heavily as she tried to slow down her rapidly palpating heart. Her bright green eyes darted around the room frantically as she took in her surroundings.

She was in a dark second-story loft above a library, that currently served as a doctor's office. The curtains on all the window had been tightly shut, blocking out all the sunlight from the outside world. The only light in the dark room aside from a few dimly lit electric lights in the office, were several low-burning candles, placed around the room.

"Easy there pet, how many times have I told you that you have to come out of your hypnotic states gradually? You'll throw yourself into a panic if you force yourself out of them like that."

Buttercup turned slightly to look at the man who was seated beside her in a chair, tapping a pencil against the clipboard he was holding in his lap as he observed her.

Ah yes, she was at her doctor's appointment with her physiatrist.

"Yes, sorry, I got startled." Buttercup apologized as she rubbed her eyes. "Are you alright?" the doctor asked gently. Buttercup nodded as she brushed her long black hair away from her face, breathing heavily as she tried to slow down her palpating heart. "Yes, I'm fine. I was just a little shaken up. Nothing to worry about."

"Well, if you're feeling better, perhaps you wouldn't mind taking a trip back to your Wonderland for me, would you?" the doctor looked hopeful.

Buttercup inwardly groaned. It was times like that that she regretted telling him of the place that she had dreamed of when she was younger. The place that had once acted as a sanctuary for her, had quickly turned into a nightmare as of late.

"I'd really rather not." The dark-haired girl huffed. "It's kinda been ruined for me since the first time I went there…" she shuddered involuntarily as she thought about the last time she had allowed herself to get dragged down into that hellhole. "Things have changed."

"Well that's just your subconscious reflecting your current state of mind." The doctor hummed as he looked at her from over his clipboard. "and it's my job to change that and make your mind whole again. The only way that I can see if I'm making any progress is if you tell me what your Wonderland looks like now, as opposed to the first time when we started seeing each other."

Buttercup allowed herself a closer look at the physiatrist who was in charge of treating her.

He was young – probably mid-twenties at most, and looked to be only a few years older than she was, though he could have been younger for all she knew. He stood well over six feet, effectively towering over lean frame. Jet black hair that stuck up in unruly spikes on top of his head gave him a slightly wild look that wasn't common among his fellow doctors, and rare dark green eyes, that contrasted with her own uncommon lime ones, were all very appealing traits to her. All and all, he was quite handsome.

Too bad that she had been deemed completely mad by the rest of society, and that he had been the one chosen to look after her – otherwise she would have courted him.

But there was no way that he'd want anything to do with her. She was his charge after all. One who couldn't offer him anything – except fame for hopefully being the one able to cure the town's famous insane beauty.

Buttercup looked down at her hands, which were clenched tightly in her lap. She knew she was pretty enough – oh yes. Before everything had gone to shit, she and her sisters had gotten high complements and praise for their extraordinary beauty and intelligence.

But now…

Now her wealth, home and family was gone. The fire had taken everything, leaving her with a broken heart and a damaged mind.

Surely there was no way that he'd want her. Not when he had girls from wealthy familys pining for his attention.

She sighed as she leaned back into the comfortable sofa she had been previously laying on. Nobody wanted her now… nobody except for the whorehouses and the disgusting men who frequented them-

"You seemed troubled my pet. What's wrong?"

Ah, bless him. Her attractive doctor was also an attentive one – he saw straight through her.

"It's nothing doctor, I'm fine." She murmured as she laid back down and lightly closed her eyes. Even though she couldn't see him, Buttercup could feel him frown.

"Is the halfway house I put you in not treating you well? I told them you were my ward there and to treat you with the upmost respect. If that's not the case I'll have them reprehended-"

"The halfway house is treating me fine, thank you doctor." Buttercup murmured softly as she raised a hand to her temple. Cracking open one vibrant green orb she looked up at him. "You didn't have to do that you know. It's kind of you, and I appreciate the gesture, but I have to ask: why?"

"You had nowhere else to go, and I didn't want a lady like you ending up in the brothels. It would do nothing to help your current state of mind." He told her as he ran over the notes on his clipboard, before looking up himself and offering her a weak smile. "I'm trying to help you, not hurt you."

"I can't stay there forever." Buttercup murmured quietly as she shut her eye again – enjoying the peaceful darkness that surrounded her. "I'll have to leave there eventually. I don't want you to continue to pay for me to stay there. It's not fair to you-"

"Until you find another place to live, or a relative that is nearby and willing to house you, you'll stay there under my supervision." The doctor cut her off with a low rumble. "But that doesn't matter right now. Right now, I want you to go to your Wonderland…"

Buttercup sighed. She really didn't want to. She couldn't even get there on her own half the time. The last time she had actually gone to Wonderland was the night of the fire…

All she remembered from that last visit was seeing that her haven had turned into hell almost instentatiously.

The fire that had raged though Wonderland had been just as hot as the one that had taken her father and sisters-

No. No. She wasn't about to have an episode in front of her doctor. _That_ would be disastrous. She wasn't going to think about what had happened to her family here. Not in front of him.

But maybe, she would go to Wonderland just once, for him. After all, he was trying to help her, not hut her… right? He had already done so much for her, the very least she could do was do this for him.

The ebony haired woman gave in with a sigh. "Alright doctor, I'll try. I don't know if I'll even be able to get there, so no promises."

The doctor only chuckled. "That's why we use hypnotism my pet – It'll help you dive deep into your subconscious and reach parts of your mind you weren't aware that you had. Hopefully it will work on you today."

"Maybe." Buttercup yawned as she got comfortable in her spot on the couch. "We'll see what happens- I'm only doing this because you're giving me a place to stay though, so don't think that this will be a common occurrence."

"and for that I think you." Her doctor replied with the hint of a smile in his voice. "Now just close your eyes, lay back, and enter your mind…"

Buttercup felt herself growing sleepy as his voiced lulled her into an almost dream-like state.

" _Go to Wonderland Buttercup…"_

" _Go to Wonderland…"_

"… _Wonderland…"_

She was falling, falling… falling…

..falling…

…

" **Welcome home Alice. It's been awhile."**


	2. Into Wonderland

**We're all Mad Here**

 **Authors note:** Alice: Madness Returns plot and idea's do not belong to me, and The Powerpuff Girls do not belong to me and as always, they have human appendages.

 **Wow, it's only been like 2 years since I updated this. Terrible** **. Also, no I didn't make sure this was finished before/in time for Carrie's birthday, it's just a coincidence. Happy *very* early Birthday Carrie. xoxoxo**

 **Playlist:** _Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody_

 **Part 2 out of 5**

* * *

 **Into Wonderland** or **Madness Begins**

.

XxX

Bright green eyes snapped open with a start, as Buttercup bolted upright off the ground in a blind panic.

That voice… it wasn't natural, it was unearthly and bounced around unpleasantly in her skull like an echo caught in a chasm.

And yet, she couldn't help but think that she had heard it before. There was something familiar about it… something that she just couldn't shake-

"Ah good, you're awake. Welcome home Alice. You've been away for such a long time. We were wondering if you were ever going to find your way back."

Buttercup jolted, and whirled around in her spot on the ground to face the haunting voice, only to gape in amazement at what she saw.

A tall, lanky man stood before her… or rather _floating_ in front of her.

Now that wouldn't too terrifying on its own, but the closer she looked at the man the more she realized that he wasn't… quite human.

For starters, he had ears. Not human ears – but large gray cat ears that stuck up on the top of his head and a matching tail that trailed behind him, flicking curiously every so often. His teeth were pointed like fangs and his nails were too sharp, almost like claws. His eyes were deep blue, much like the ocean and his pupils were slits, just like a cat's. His most defining trait however, had to be the large vertical scar that ran down the right side of his face. It looked semi-new… it was still slightly puckered and the area around it looked like it was stained red.

"What are you?!"

The cat-boy looked hurt. "Don't you mean _who_ at the very least, not what? Honestly Alice, do you not remember who I am?"

"I think you're mistaking me for someone else, my name isn't Alice." Buttercup shook her head as she slowly pushed herself up onto her feet. "Oh no, I never make mistakes." The cat's ears twitched in amusement. "To answer your question my dear, I am Boomer." He did a mock bow in mid-air, before flashing her a grin. "But to the other residences here, I am known simply as the Cheshire Cat."

"The Cheshire Cat." Buttercup let out a disbelieving laugh. "Now I've seen everything. A half man, half cat. What's next?"

"Do you know where you are Alice?"

"The doctors office I hope, since I don't remember leaving. But you tell me. Where am I?"

"Why don't you take a little look around and tell me?" the cat invited, gesturing to the area around them.

She took a moment to take in her surroundings, only for her eyes to widen. She wasn't in the doctor's office anymore. Now, she was in a small clearing, surrounded by grass greener then she had ever seen it, but the thing that caught her attention the most was the large bubbles floating lazily in the bight azure sky above her. The closer she looked at her surroundings, the more she realized that there were other things out of place – such as the almost neon coloured fauna, or the small boulders that hovered a few inches off the ground, and the odd, pink birds that she didn't recognize, with abnormally longs beaks that buzzed around the clearing like bees.

"I'm not in Kansas anymore, am I?" Buttercup muttered. "No." Boomer shook his head with a small smile. "But you do know where you are… don't you?"

"Wonderland." Buttercup murmured, still looking around her in amazement. "It has to be… I haven't been here in so long… the last time I was here was when-" she shook her head. _No. she couldn't go there. It was still too fresh. Too real._

She narrowed her eyes in confusion as she took in her surroundings. "It looks… different somehow. Something's different… I don't know what it is, but something feels…" she fished around for the right word, all while the cat grinned at her in a less then comfortable manner.

"..Off." she finally got out as she looked away from the lanky man's near leering grin. "That's not saying much dear, look where you are." Sniggered the cat sarcastically as he extended a hand, pulling her up onto her feet.

"I think I'm going mad." Buttercup muttered as she wearily eyed the boy's claw-like nails. "There's no way any of this can be real. This place makes no sense what-so-ever." She paused and snapped her fingers. "That's it! This place and you aren't real, are they? This place is where I go when I need a break – it's just a figment of my imagination!"

"and yet you call this place your Wonderland – your own private sanctuary. You mold this place in your own image – so perhaps it's your way of saying that you've grown tired of the logical way of things?" Boomer asked with a coy smirk, as he looked up into the sky above them – almost as if he was searching for something.

She froze as she looked at the cat. "How do you know so much about this place and me?" His tail twitched as he sent her a knowing smirk – the action pulling at the long scar that ran down the middle of his face. "I already told you: I've known you for a long time, and you me – but you don't quite remember that do you? No matter, you'll remember soon enough."

She frowned and narrowed her eyes as she nodded as the massive, puckered scar. "What happened to your face?"

Boomer turned away at her question with a grimace. "That… is irrelevant. You'll find out later."

"But I-"

"Later." Boomer cut in firmly with a glare, as he glanced wearily around the area. "Right now, we need to move, it's not safe here-"

 _ **RRRAAAAAWWWWWWRRRRRRRAAAAAA**_

An earth-shaking bellow drowned out the rest of his sentence, as something massive flew overhead of them and blotted out the sun momentarily. "Get down!" Boomer hissed as he pulled her out of the clearing and into a nearby patch of tall grass.

"What in gods name was that?" Buttercup asked. "Oh, don't worry, you'll find out soon enough." The cat hybrid responded unpleasantly. He was silent for a moment, listening intently before standing up, and floated a few feet in front of her, beckoning her to follow him. "It's gone, but it might come back… we need to move. If you'll follow me my dear, there are some people who are just dying to see you again."

"Like who?" the lime eyed woman asked curiously as she slowly followed the gray-furred cat. "You'll see." He grinned, tuning to her as he reached behind him. "Anyways Alice, I have a gift for you. I think you'll find it quite to your liking."

"A gift?" What for? What is it?" Buttercup asked suspiciously, causing the cat to chuckle, as he pulled something out from behind his back. He looked it over for a moment before pressing it into the hands of the hesitant girl. "Here."

Buttercup looked down only to see that the man had pressed a large knife into her hands. It was a beautiful light silver blade with an ornate jade handle. The blade itself was cruel and jagged and gleamed wickedly in the warm light. "It's beautiful. But I don't understand. Why are you giving it to me?" Buttercup asked, giving the cat an incredulous look.

"That is the Vorpal Blade." The blue-eyed man tapped the blade with a long claw. "You may find it quite useful on your travels through here… you're going to need it if you want to visit some parts. Wonderland is not as safe as it used to be, I'm afraid."

"What's here that I need to use it on?" Buttercup muttered as she fingered the blade. "Well… the beast that flew overhead just now is probably the biggest threat here." Boomer responded, beckoning her to stand beside him. "-Because _this_ is what he's done." The man pointed ahead of them and her gaze followed his finger as it dropped down into a valley in front of them. She gasped in shock at the state of it.

The valley before her did not reflect the peaceful beauty of the clearing that they had come out off. Parts of it looked quite dead, other's looked twisted, and almost warped. Large chunks of the ground had separated and had seemingly broken off and separated from the rest of the ground, and a white dusting of what looked like ash had settled over it, seemingly hovering in the stagnant air.

"What happened here?"

"Alice… you've come back at a very bleak point in Wonderland's history." The cat admitted. "That thing that flew overhead just now? It's behind the destruction that you see now."

"When did is all start?" Buttercup exclaimed as she started down the hill slowly. "I might not remember much, but Wonderland was not like this when I left it!"

"It started not too long ago." Boomer informed her softly. "Wonderland has been deteriorating rapidly for the last couple of weeks, and the destruction is only getting worse. We need your help Alice. You're the only one that can put an end to this."

"What makes you think I can help you?" the lime eyed girl asked. "I'm in no shape to help you or anyone else… Hell, I can barely help myself."

"If you help Wonderland, you'll help yourself." Boomer replied gently. "Like you said: Wonderland is a part of you. and right now, it has some unwelcome intruders that need to be kicked out… one of them is the _Jabberwocky."_

 _The Jabberwocky._ Something about that name made her freeze. She had heard that name, long ago. She couldn't remember where she heard it, but a wave of dread washed over her as she heard the name. she gripped the blade tighter in her hand. "That's the thing we saw earlier, isn't it?" she asked. Boomer nodded tensely.

"The Vorpal Blade there," Boomer pointed to the large knife in her hand. "That will keep you safe from the beast, but…" he paused. "The Jabberwocky is not the only thing in Wonderland that you need to worry about."

"… What else haven't you told me?" the ravenette asked hesitantly. "What else is going on here cat?"

"You'll find out soon enough, but I'm not the best person to explain it to you. I have people who can." The blue-eyed cat promised as he floated in front of her and took the lead. "Now come on Alice, we have to get going – there are so many things I have to show you!"

"Wait hold on." Buttercup held up a hand, causing the floating man to stop and glance back at her. "This is all in my head isn't it? This isn't really real, I'm just in some hypnotic trance, aren't I?"

"Well of course this is in your head Alice." The cat's tail twitched from side to side, as another grin spread across his face. "But that doesn't make it any less real."

And with that, the cat lead her down through the valley silently. They left the ruined place behind them and slowly made their way into a lush forest, the brightly coloured flora guiding their way. She had so many questions and yet had no idea where to begin or even what to ask at this point. _How had she come here?_ Was a good one. _Why was she here?_ Was an even better one.

And yet she didn't ask them. Instead she opted to continue to silently follow the cat through the lush forest for a while. They had been walking through the enchanted woods for a time before she thought that she heard voices coming from just up ahead. Boomer floated a little in front of her and pulled back some of the branches that were obscuring their way forward. The cat man beckoned her forward with a slight smile that pulled at the ugly scar on his face. "Come here Alice, there's some people here who are so excited to see you again-"

"Boomer! You've come back!" an excited voice cut through the air, and Buttercup froze in place. _She knew that voice. How could she forget… That voice belonged to her-_

She turned her attention to the spot in front of them and almost collapsed to the ground. It was a table that looked like it was pilled high with tea and cookies. It was a strange sight to see in the middle of a forest certainly, but this was Wonderland, and she wasn't surprised by anything anymore. But it wasn't the tea party that she was shocked by – It was the people that were sitting around it… more specifically the two girls that were looking at her.

The girl that had called out, turned towards her with a gleeful smile on her face and Buttercup had to fight back tears. It was her baby sister. It was, it had to be, no one else in town looked like her. The girl had almost platinum blonde hair, and eyes that were as blue as the sky. She was dressed all in white, but before Buttercup could sprint towards her, she paused.

Bubbles… didn't have rabbit ears sticking up from the top of her head. Right? Something wasn't right with the picture in front of her.

She glanced towards the other girl at the table and felt her heart drop into her stomach. There, wearing a red Victorian dress, with a crown on her head – Was her oldest sister, Blossom. There was no mistaking it. No one else had long red hair that stopped at their waist, and certainly no one had eyes that were a beautiful dusty pink like her sister. It was Blossom. It had to be; she had no other explanation. But how…?

"Blossom? Bubbles? I… Don't understand…" Buttercup croaked, as she took in the her oddly dressed girls, who were undoubtedly her sisters, with tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. "How, how are you here? You're not alive, I know you're not… I saw both of you that night! You bur-"

The raventte fought the urge to swallow her own tongue. She couldn't bring herself to face it. She couldn't even say it. It was still too much, too real.

They were gone.

Incinerated and turned to ashes in the blaze that had torn, unchecked through their mansion that fateful night. Nothing had remined of them, not even their father.

And yet, here they were – sitting before her, sipping tea without so much as a care in the world. On one hand, she was distinctly aware that there was no way they could possibly be her sisters. It was them, and yet not them at the same time, almost like they were some wild reflections of her sisters…

Buttercup fought back the urge to cry. There they were. Did they even realize what had happened… or was this some mockery of the afterlife?

"Well of course we're alive silly, otherwise how else would we be here?" Bubbles chirped up, snapping her out of her trance. Her rabbit ears twitched on top of her head as the white clad girl poured herself another cup of tea. "Silly Alice, tricks are for kids!"

"My name's Buttercup, you know that Bubbles." Buttercup could only mumble out as her younger sister looked at her in confusion. "Bubbles? No, no silly, I'm the White Rabbit. You know that!"

"Do I… No, no that can't be, you're my sister – but how… you, and Blossom, you… I mean… you-"

She couldn't bring herself to say it. It would kill her if she did, because she knew that she still couldn't accept what had happened to them, and probably never would.

God, maybe the rest of the town was right. Maybe she was going mad after all. Maybe she had a relapse and that's why she was here again. Her doctor would _love_ to hear about that. All his hard work in the months that had followed _the incident,_ gone.

"Well, don't just stand there Alice, come join us." The queen-like Blossom finally spoke up, and once again Buttercup fought the urge to flinch. She _sounded_ perfectly like Blossom. But she couldn't be- "It's been such a long time after all. Come tell us how you've been. The Red Queen demands it."

The Bubbles imposter patted the empty chair next to her. "Come sit with me Alice, have some tea." She slowly sat down next to the blue-eyed girl, hardly believing what she was witnessing, as the rabbit poured her a cup of tea, chatting at her absentmindedly.

She shook her head quickly and looked over at the last occupant of the table. She could tell he was tall, even sitting down. He had red hair like the Queen, but his was much shorter and pulled back into a ponytail. He was wearing what looked to be a sharp red suit complete with a red ball cap on his head. But the most distinguishable trait that stuck out to her, had to be his eyes. His eyes were as red as blood and deep as a dark cave. She stared at him. So strange, he was almost like the exact opposite of her sister… or the Red Queen, rather. He looked over at her, blood red eyes meeting bright green. "What girly?"

"Who are you?"

"I'm the Mad fuckin' Hatter obviously sweetheart. Look at what I'm wearing." The red eyed man responded snidely, pointing to the cap on his head. Buttercup stared at him. "I've just met you… How am I supposed to know that? What are you, Rumpelstiltskin?" Bubbles, no- the rabbit nudged her as the man let out a snort before raising a flask to his lips. "His name is Brick." She informed her gently.

Buttercup crinkled her nose at the sudden smell that washed over her. "Are you drinking Whisky?"

"Fucking right I am. It's the only way I can stand you people for as long as I do." Brick replied with an eye roll as he took another swig out of his flask. Across the table Bloss- The Red Queen scowled. "You know, we never asked you to join us. You came on your own accord."

"I had nothing better to do then rain on this party of freaks, so here I am."

"Don't you dare call my subjects that." Bloss… the queen snapped. The Hatter rolled his blood red eyes. "Give it a rest Pinky – there's no need for you to act like that anymore. It's not like you've been sitting on your little chair for the past bit anyways."

"At least I'm not inebriated for more then half the day, every day, unlike _someone_ at this table." The queen hissed. "Honestly I'm amazed you haven't drunk yourself to death."

"Prude."

"Drunk."

"Stuck-up priss."

"Intolerable ass."

"ICY BITCH!"

"ARROGANT BASTARD!"

The Mad Hatter stopped suddenly as the Queen forced herself out of her seat, glaring daggers at the red-eyed man, and seething with rage. Buttercup could barely believe what was happening. She was now sure that the girls before her were not her sisters. Her Blossom would have never swore. There was no way. As hilarious as it was to watch, this version of Blossom couldn't be real… it just couldn't.

Buttercup stared between the man and the woman dumbstruck. They were so similar in personality… and yet… not at all. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more the flame haired man seemed to remind her of someone she knew. Come to think of it… She looked over her shoulder at the blue-eyed man behind her.

 _So did the cat._

 _Just where the hell had she seen them before…?_

She shook her head. _No, that's all it was, just her head playing tricks on her. That's how she was here now – with the strange reincarnates of her sisters._ Both red heads continued to argue back and forth with each other, seemingly forgetting that there were other people at the table with them. Buttercup tapped Bubbles…no, the White Rabbit on the shoulder, causing the girl with the bunny ears to look at her.

"Are they always like this?"

The blonde giggled. "Oh no. Worse." Before proceeding to laugh even harder at the baffled expression on her face.

Finally, the argument between the enraged queen and the cap-wearing man began to die down. The hat wearing man fell silent for a moment, before what could only be described as an adoring smirk broke out across his face as he looked at the regal woman across from him. "God, I love you."

"You're insane." The queen shot back without missing a beat. "and that's why you love me." Brick grinned. "I make your life interesting."

"I don't, and my life could do without being so… eventful for a while." Blossom murmured as she cast her eyes downwards, slowly sitting back down with her hands folded in her lap. "After all, look what's happened now…"

"Yeah, yeah, you lost your throne, big deal. Just relax for a while. All the pressures of ruling this joint are off your shoulders. Now you can have some REAL fun." Brick snickered unkindly, as he threw back more of his drink, ignoring the queen's growing fury.

"No, I was upstarted!" she screamed, suddenly slamming her hand down onto the table. "I was forced from my throne by that horrible, horrible creature, and now look what's happened! Everything's been thrown into madness!"

"Not saying much, considering how this place was already mad to begin with-" the red eyed man stopped as the queen shot him an icy look. He coughed as he took another swig of whiskey. "I mean, that sucks, and it shouldn't have happened. What an asshole." He covered quickly.

"I'm sorry, but I think someone will have to fill me in here." Buttercup interjected quietly. "How exactly did you lose your throne?"

The Blossom look-alike turned her attention to her with a strange mixture of anger and loss written across her face. "A month or so ago, the Red King appeared out of nowhere with the Jabberwocky by his side. Together, they burned my castle to the ground and put their own in its place. I fled here with the White Rabbit and have been hiding here ever since, while my kingdom is destroyed all around me. The worst part is, there is nothing I can do to stop it." she blinked, and a look of pure rage entered her face. "The Jabberwocky is a murderous traitor. If I ever get the chance, I'll end him myself."

"How did you two end up here?" Buttercup asked, nodding at the Hatter and the Cheshire Cat. "Unfortunately, while the rest of Wonderland goes up in flames, we… lost our home as well. We heard the queen and the rabbit where hiding about somewhere in here and we met up with them shortly after." Boomer responded after shooting Brick a look.

"And more people who call Wonderland home will continue to lose their homes if the Jabberwocky isn't stopped soon." Bick added, examining his drink. "If they continue on like they are, Wonderland will cease to exist, and that won't be good for anyone – especially not you." he nodded at the lime eyed woman before tossing back more booze. "That's why you're here." He hiccupped, swaying slightly in his chair. "So that you can put an end to their shit. Because as of right now, you're the only one who can."

"But why me?" the raven-haired woman found herself asking. "Why am I the only one?"

"Because Wonderland is yours silly." Rabbit Bubbles giggled, reaching forward to play with a strand of her dark hair… just like her actual sister used to do. "You helped make this place, so that means you're the only one that can take out the things that don't belong and that are causing harm to it."

"Do ya get it now?" Brick asked sarcastically, taking another swig from his flask before adjusting his cap. "If you don't stop that stupid dragon soon, he's going to send us all up in flames."

"I guess so… but I have no idea where to start! Where do I even find this… Jabberwocky?" Buttercup looked at Brick. "He's a dragon?" The Hatter shrugged. "Among other things."

"That." The Boomer cut in, ginning. "I can help you with. I have someone who can take you straight to them, and I will take you to him. Think of me as a guide of sorts."

"Well that's grand and all, but what exactly do I do when I find them?"

"Well that blade you have there? The Vorpal Blade is the only thing that can kill, or at least injure the Jabberwocky. It took me a very long time to find it. He had it- I mean, it was very well hidden." Boomer quickly corrected himself.

"You mean to tell me I'm going to have to fight that thing?" Buttercup asked, eyeing the blade. "Most likely, but hopefully not. The Jabberwocky can be reasoned with… or at least, he _used_ to be. Nowadays, I don't think that's the case." Rabbit Bubbles sighed.

Buttercup put her head in her hands. She couldn't believe this was happening. That she was here. That her _sisters_ were here. But then… they weren't her sisters now where they? They looked like them certainly, but they weren't them.

She wasn't sure what hurt more at this point.

She felt a tap on her shoulder and looked at to see the Cheshire Cat floating beside her. He wore an expression on his face that let her know that he understood the inner turmoil she was going though, but he only shook his head and extended his hand to her. "Are you ready to depart Alice?"

 _No. No she was certainly not ready. She still had no idea how they expected her to take on a dragon of all things and save Wonderland. And most of all, she wanted him to stop calling her Alice!_

But instead, she reluctantly took his clawed hand and stood up with him. "I guess so." The Hatter raised his flask at her. "Atta girl. Go fuck that dragon up. He needs it." she rolled her eyes at him. "Wonderful. Thank you for the encouragement." She hesitated, before turning to the lady dressed in a red Victorian gown and the younger girl dressed in white with rabbit ears sticking up out of her soft blonde hair.

"Blossom, Bubbles- I mean… your Majesty and Rabbit. It was…" tears pricked at the corner of her eyes as she managed to choke out the words, "It… it was really nice to see you again."

Imposter Blossom smiled at her – just like her sister used to. "Good luck Alice, we're all cheering for you. Come see us again soon when the battle is over. You are always welcome here."

Buttercup wanted nothing more than to correct her and tell her that her name was Buttercup, and how much she missed her and Bubbles, and if she could go back and do something to save them then she would in a heartbeat because she was practically living in hell without them – but she knew it was pointless. Because that wasn't her sister and she knew it, neither was the rabbit. It didn't matter how much she wanted it to be them because she knew that was impossible. They were gone. That much she was certain of.

Instead, she swallowed hard and took one last glance back at the group of brightly coloured individuals, before following the cat into the unknown.


	3. Enter Jabberwocky

**We're all Mad Here**

 **Authors note:** Alice: Madness Returns plot and idea's do not belong to me, and The Powerpuff Girls do not belong to me and as always, they have human appendages.

 **Oh look, a second update. Sorry not sorry Carrie.**

 **Playlist:** _The Eagles – Hotel California_

 **Part 3 out of 5**

* * *

 **Enter Jabberwocky** or **Two Truths and a Lie**

.

XxX

Buttercup followed the floating cat as he led her away from the rest of the tea party and out of the forest – leaving her reanimated sisters far behind her.

She didn't want to leave. She knew that the girls that were dressed as the Queen of Hearts and the White Rabbit, weren't her sisters, but they looked and acted so much like them, it made her heart hurt.

She and the cat man walked in silence, watching as the magical forest faded away behind them as he led them into a much rockier terrain. Once again, everything started to warp and twist itself, just like the area before the forest, making everything look distorted and dead. The sky was beginning to cloud over quickly, she thought quietly to herself. It was starting to look… red.

"What's happening here?" she finally asked, causing Boomer's ears to swivel around. "It looks like the spot before… it looks-" she fumbled for words. "Wrong."

"This is what the Jabberwocky has done." Boomer replied quietly without looking at her. "He's been destroying the lands around here, running them out of sheer anger. I believe his end goal is to try and destroy Wonderland." He paused before dropping his voice and muttering under his breath, "-and maybe a little bit of it is your doing."

If she heard what he said, she pretended not to as she tucked the Vorpal Blade in the waistband of her skirt. "Who am I kidding." She snickered unkindly. "I don't know why I'm worried so much. It's not like any of this is real. None of you are. You even said that it was all in my head."

"True." Boomer agreed, examining his claws with lazy cobalt eyes. "But I also said that doesn't make it any less real either."

She didn't have a retort for that. Honestly, she didn't know what was real and what was made up anymore. The fine line between them was all but erased.

So instead, she tried to change the topic to something else.

"Everyone back there keeps saying that I haven't been here in a long time." Buttercup lamented to the cat. "I keep getting the impression that I spent a lot of time here when I was younger… but I don't remember any of it. Can you tell me anything?"

"You're not wrong." Boomer admitted. "You did spend a great deal of time here with us when you were a child. You've always had a special connection to Wonderland and its inhabitants. But as you got older, you didn't come around as much… you didn't need us, and everything has been peaceful here… up until a few weeks ago."

"How come I don't remember any of this?" Buttercup asked. "Your mind changes as you get older. It's natural." The cat soothed. "But we've missed you. We only wish that you could have come back to us on better terms."

"So, everyone has always been in Wonderland?" Buttercup pushed. The cat nodded. "Yes. You, the Queen and the Rabbit spent the most time together out of all of us. The three of you would always be at the Queen's castle, drinking tea and playing games – all that fun stuff – while Brick and I would come around to pester all of you." he smiled. "They were good times."

He suddenly let out a light laugh. "That was when the Jabberwocky wasn't rampaging out of control and would also come along with Brick and I. He was… particularly fond of you."

"You speak of this thing like you and he are good friends." Buttercup mused, not taking her eyes off the path ahead of them. The cat shrugged.

"We used to be. We used to be very close actually – we all were when you came here as a child. But lately the Jabberwocky is being rather selfish these days. I don't think he understands that by destroying Wonderland – we could all possibly disappear."

That made her pause. She stopped and turned to face the humanoid cat. "You'll all disappear?" Boomer shrugged, flicking his tail lazily as he floated alongside her, seeming uncaring of his possible fate.

"Maybe, who knows. After all, we're all just figments of your imagination, so why do you care?"

That was a good question. Why did she care?

"Just curious I guess." The ravenette muttered as she jogged after the floating cat. "So, if Wonderland is destroyed, wouldn't that mean that the Jabberwocky would be killed as well?"

"Probably." Boomer sighed as he flipped onto his back, still hovering beside her. "Well then why is he doing it if he runs the risk of being destroyed?" Buttercup asked, watching for a change in the cat's demeanor. "This makes no sense to me what-so-ever."

"Here, nothing is what it appears to be." The cat responded cryptically, his dark blue eyes boring holes into her soul as he turned his head to look at her. "Just like how your sisters appear to you as the Queen and the Rabbit, the Jabberwocky is here for a reason too. He represents something to you. Despite the damage he's caused, he does play an important role in your life my dear. Believe it or not – things are not as random here as they seem to be at first glance."

"Well what part of me could he possibly represent that would want to tear apart Wonderland?" Buttercup muttered as she desperately tried to think of something that would have called the Jabberwocky to Wonderland. "I certainly didn't want to do this on purpose!"

"That, I can't tell you. You must figure that out on your own if you want to help yourself. Honestly Alice, you're taking your sweet time catching on here." The humanoid cat gave her a shit-eating grin, making the scar that ran down the middle of his face stretch unpleasantly.

"It's Buttercup, not Alice." The ebony haired girl muttered irritably. "Lord, you're no help at all. First you appear to me claiming to be my guide, and saying that you'll help me fix the problem, but when I ask you how to do it – you give me half answers! So far, the only thing you've said that makes any sense to me is that if I stop the Jabberwocky, then I'll save Wonderland. Is that right so far?"

"That's correct." Boomer assured her calmly. "You stop the Jabberwocky; it should give Wonderland enough time to lick its wounds and prevent it from being completely destroyed." He frowned as he scratched his chin with one long claw.

"Though it's not entirely his fault. He's kinda being forced to do it."

"Forced? By who?" Buttercup growled. "By the Red King of course." Boomer responded carelessly as he examined his claw like nails. Buttercup scrunched her nose in confusion. "The Red King. Who is that? Bloss- I mean, the Queen of Heart's husband or something?"

"No!" Boomer cackled, his long body shaking with laughter. "Not even close. He's the guy who knocked her off her throne and took over Wonderland actually."

"Oh, right, Bloss- shit, I mean the Queen, mentioned that." Buttercup muttered as she looked down at her feet. "I'm assuming that he wasn't here when I was a child."

"No, one could say that he's a recent addition." Boomer chuckled humorlessly as his gray ears twitched on top of his head. "He also just so happened to be the root of all your problems."

"Oh? Enlighten me then. How?"

"A few months back the Red King made his debut here." Boomer informed her as his ears and tail twitched periodically. "He upstarted the Queen, who had been making sure everything stayed in perfect order here, and ever since then, Wonderland's been thrown into chaos. He sent the Jabberwocky out not too long after that, and he's been doing a damn good job of trashing the place."

He laced his hands behind his back. "We're all relived that you decided to stick around this time." He told her gently as his tail wrapped around her wrist. "You actually came here by yourself one time – the same night that the Red King appeared actually – but you were inconsolable, and you didn't stay long. You went back to the real world shortly after. Wonderland descended into madness right after that."

"I was here?" Buttercup asked, confused by the new information. "I don't really remember coming here… I have a hard-enough time coming here on my own as it is. I'd think I'd remember if I forced myself here."

"That's because you were only here for a minute or so at the most." Boomer supplied. "You were completely distraught though, and that was what triggered the arrival of the Red King and the disintegration of Wonderland."

"Your saying I… caused this?" Buttercup asked softly as she glanced around the ruined landscape. "You are an indirect cause of it yes." The floating man admitted. "This is part of your mind after all, which isn't in the best of shape these days."

"Anyways." Boomer rapped his knuckles against the side of her head with a teasing grin. "I'd be more worried about the state of your mind rather than him. If the Red King is successful in murdering Wonderland, then you'll really go completely mad."

Buttercup froze. Well this was new information to her. _Why the hell had the stupid cat not told her that sooner?!_

"I will?"

Boomer chuckled. "The lovely psychist you have there certainly seemed to think so. Why do you think he sent you back here after all this time?"

"It's to help him determine my mental state-"

She stopped midsentence as she looked around at the decrepit environment around them, her eyes widening in realization as the truth hit her full force.

Wonderland reflected her mental state. and if the drab, broken and distorted scenery had anything to say about her mental health – then she wasn't looking too good.

"Oh god, is that why everything is completely out of aliment and broken here?"

"Ah, she's finally figured it out." the cat shot her another one of his famous grins that seemed to spilt his face in half. "That's what Hatter was trying to tell you earlier, but he can't form a coherent sentence at the moment."

"Well why didn't you tell me that then!?"

"Because that's no fun, and besides – I'm helping you far more then I should be. I'm technically not even supposed to be here right now." The grin slipped off his face as the cat boy put both feet on the ground, looking around the area nervously.

"We're heading into the Red Kings territory now… unfortunately, I won't be coming with you for when you confront him. I'm not exactly eager to see him again."

"But you're my guide. How will I find him?" Buttercup asked as she crossed her arms. "Surly you can't just leave me here."

"Relax, like I said, I've set you up with a friend – He'll take you to him." Boomer's ears twitched nervously, before he forced a weak smirk oh his face. "Last time I tried to reason with the King, he cleaved my face in two – so I make it a point to stay as far away from him as possible."

Oh. That's why his face looked… distorted. Buttercup leaned toward him so that she could make out the details of his face. Sure enough, she could see what he meant. When she had first arrived, she had hadn't been sure what had caused the mark – now looking at it again with the new information the cat had told her – It looked as if something sharp had been slashed down the center of his face with a great deal of force behind it – an old wound that hadn't healed quite right.

Jesus how the hell was he still alive- oh right, he wasn't human. Hell, he wasn't even real.

"So, who's this guide then?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked around. "I don't see anyone."

"Oh, he'll be along." Boomer assured her. "Punctuality was never his specialty-"

A large shadow fell over them and an ear-splitting roar pierced the stagnant air, followed by the sound of great leather wings beating, cracked across the sky above them. Buttercup whipped out the Vorpal blade concealed in her waistband, getting ready for a fight, only for the cat-like man beside her to shake his head.

"What was that?" Buttercup asked, clutching the handle of the knife tightly as she looked around wildly. "That, was the Jabberwocky." Boomer muttered as his ears and tail flicked nervously. "Are we safe? Is it coming back?" Buttercup questioned as she searched the red sky above, almost hoping to catch a glimpse of the terrifying beast.

"We're safe for now. It sounded like he's heading back to the castle. Though I wouldn't be surprised if he makes an appearance – this is his domain after all." The cat cautioned her seriously.

"Well, he sounded massive." Buttercup muttered as she eyed the large blade in her hand. "Are you sure that this will help me kill him?"

"The Vorpal blade is the only weapon that can fatally wound or even kill the Jabberwocky." Boomer insisted as he flicked his ears towards it. "It took me a great deal of time to find it for you – it was hidden very well." He sighed. "Though, I truly hope you don't have to use it – on him that is." he added. "The King, well… you're definitely going to have to kill him if you want to restore Wonderland's balance."

The lime eyed woman looked over at her guide, only to notice that he had stopped and was floating in the spot beside her. "This is as far as I dare go." The cat told her with a frown. "Normally I would escort you all the way, but now we've entered the innermost part of the King's territory. The castle he now resides in is close by, but I won't be taking you there. I'm in no rush to see him again."

"and this new guide is supposed to take me there?" Buttercup asked, as she folded her arms. "That was the plan, yes." Boomer sighed as he looked around the surrounding area. "Again, he's never been the most punctual of people-"

"What are you going on about Cat? I'm right here."

The pair tuned around, startled, only to see a massive man appear from the shadow of another boulder. Buttercup stifled a gasp as the man strode over to them, allowing her to get a clear look at him.

He was extremely tall – standing at close to seven feet if she had to guess – and was built like a tank, wearing heavy black-spiked armor from the neck down. What truly startled her, however, was the man's face. She couldn't help but feel like she had seen him somewhere before

 _He was handsome._ Was the first thought that crossed her mind. The man had a strong jaw and high cheekbones. Thick black hair much like her own, was swept up into messy spikes on top of his head. Dark eyebrows framed his brow-bones nicely and defined his eyes, which were the most startling pair of forest green that she had ever seen before-

That was when she stopped and had to resist the urge to cover her mouth in shock, as she suddenly placed why the man before her looked so familiar.

He looked exactly like her doctor.

 _Dear god, the man looked like her doctor in the real world. Boomer was right: she must be losing her mind if it had turned her doctor into a fantasy character much like it had her sisters._

"Ah, so you decide to grace us with your presence and finally show up, did you?" Buttercup shook her head rapidly as she heard Boomer scoff from beside her. She looked over at him only to see that his ears were laid back and his tail was flicking irritably – almost as if he was nervous.

The man spread his arms out as a slow grin spread across his face. "Aw kitty I'm hurt. You don't sound so happy to see me."

"I'm not." The cat hybrid confirmed. "I'm surprised you offered to help us… considering that you-" he cut himself off and shook his head. "Never mind, it doesn't matter anymore I suppose. Desperate times call for desperate measures, seeing how you're literally the only one who's willing to take her to the castle. "

The charcoal haired man perked up instantly at the mention of her. His armor creaked slightly as he shifted his attention to her and looked her over her from head to toe. "Hello lovely, I was wondering when you were going to rejoin us."

"I'm sorry, but who exactly are you?" Buttercup asked as she glanced between Boomer and the dark stranger. Boomer sighed. "Alice, this is Butch. He'll be taking you to the Red King. Butch, this is-"

"I know exactly who she is Boom, no need for introductions." The green-eyed man interrupted coolly, as a pleased smirk crossed his lips. "My. My. You grew up even better than I thought you would."

The obsidian haired woman fought he urge to shrink back from under his gaze. She didn't like the way he'd said that. As attractive as the man was, there was something about him that put her on the edge, and she didn't like it. She glanced over at Boomer hopefully. "Are you sure you can't take me the rest of the way?"

"I would if I could, but Butch would be more use to you at this point – he knows this land and the castle better than I do – he'll get you to the King." Boomer offered her a small smile as his body twisted in mid-air.

"and when I get to the King? What do I do then?" Buttercup groaned, wishing the cat would be clearer with his instructions.

"I can't tell you how your encounter will go." Boomer sighed as his tail flicked gingerly. "Only you will be able to determine what happens when you both meet. I will tell you that you'll have to kill him if you wish to leave Wonderland and go back home, but I warn you: the King is sadistic and clever – you'll have to keep on your guard around him. Much like everything in this place, he's not what he appears to be."

"So you've said. I wish you would tell me what that means." Buttercup muttered as she crossed her arms, causing the feline to laugh coldly. "My dear, I've already helped you more then I should have. Only you can figure it out from here on out Alice."

A humorless grin spread across his face – stretching the scar running down his face even farther – as he slowly began to lift into the air. "It's time for me to depart now Alice, good luck fighting the King – the survival of Wonderland rests on your shoulders now, along with your sanity."

The ravenette shook her head at his words, choosing to ignore the last bit. "Thank you for taking me this far Cat, I do appreciate it. and thank you for helping me… in your own confusing way."

The cat-man let out a bark of laughter as he saluted her. "Of course, Alice, anytime." He glanced over at the intimidating man behind her. "You take care of her now; do you understand me?"

"Always." Rumbled the dark-haired man. "No harm will come to her while I'm with her." The cat nodded, only to snap his fingers. "Oh one more thing that you might be interested in knowing-" Boomer muttered as he began to fade from view – becoming more and more transparent the harder Buttercup squinted.

"The Red King happens to be mine and Brick's father-figure." The cat chuckled as he nodded behind Buttercup to the man who looked suspiciously like her doctor. "His too."

"Wait, now just hold on a second. You're telling me that the King I'm supposedly going to go kill is your _father_?" Buttercup sputtered.

Boomer laughed, but she couldn't see him anymore. She could feel his presence though.

" _Kill the Red King, stop the Jabberwocky, save Wonderland, and save yourself in turn… think you can handle that sweetheart?"_

"But how the hell am I going to find the Jabberwocky?" Buttercup yelled into the wind, hoping to catch a glimpse of the sly cat.

" _Oh, don't worry about that_ …" Boomer's voice seemed to whisper in her ear. " _The Jabberwocky is closer than you think-"_

Then with a sharp laugh, he was gone – leaving her staring into the space where he once was.

A small cough from behind her caught her attention. "That fucking cat's ridiculous. He's full of shit on a good day – don't take everything he says literally."

She whirled around to face the armor-clad man – Butch – If she had heard Boomer correctly. "That maniac and the Mad Hatter are your brothers?" she asked disbelievingly. The ebony haired man grinned sheepishly. "Surprise."

She scuffed her feet. "So, this Red King I've been hearing so much about… he's supposedly your father?" his armor creaked as she crossed his arms. "That's right."

"So why are you helping me get to him if I'm supposed to kill him then?" Buttercup asked suspiciously. There had to be something that's she was missing here. The titan of a man sent her an easy grin. "What can I say? I'm not a fan of the guy. No one really is."

She regarded him for a moment before she shrugged. "Well that's good enough for me, I guess. I just need to get rid of him and this Jabberwocky that's been burning this place to the ground, and then that should set everything right again, or at least that's what people are telling me."

The brute nodded. "That's the plan."

"and you're going to help me?"

"Why else would I be here?" the man shot back with the faintest of grins on his face. He turned and began to walk beside her along the road they were following. "It's not like you would stand much of a chance on your own against the Red King. You'll need some backup if you're going to even have a shot against him."

"So, what exactly are you then?"

Her question seemed to catch him off guard as he cocked a thick, black brow at her. "What do you mean?"

"Well, going off of what you're telling me, and your physical appearance, I can tell you're not human, but you don't exactly look like a strange animal mix like Boomer is – so what are you exactly?"

"Very observant of you." Butch praised her with a small smile present on his lips. "and, well as for what I am…" the ebony haired man chuckled as he fixed his gaze on the road ahead. "Well… you'll figure that out soon enough."

"I don't like the way you said that."

"You don't seem to like anything very much these days Buttercup."

"Well I mean- Wait… Buttercup?" the raven-haired girl paused as she glanced up at the massive man beside her. Butch quirked an eyebrow at her. "Yes, Buttercup – that's your name isn't it?"

"Yes, but ever since I got here, everyone's been calling me Alice for whatever reason – you're the first person to call me by my actual name." she mused, and the man looked slightly panicked.

"Oh well… you know… I get around a lot and I hear things…" Butch muttered as he promptly averted his eyes away from hers. "After all, you're the important girl around these parts. Without you there is no us. You're the only one worth knowing."

"About that." Buttercup muttered as she increased the length of her strides, as the road they were traveling up suddenly turned steep and rocky. "Is that true? Everything that the cat said? That this place is a representation of my mind?"

"You're still asking about that? I thought Boom made it pretty clear for you." Butch snorted as he gently pushed her ahead of him. "and I thought Brick would have mentioned it to you as well."

"Apparently he did… I just didn't pick up on it." Buttercup admitted softly. "But can you blame me? He's is pretty cryptic." She turned her head to glance at the man skeptically. "Are you sure that you, Boomer and him are brothers? You don't look anything alike."

"Ironically enough we're triplets." Butch snorted as he placed a hand on her back – gently pushing her up the hill from behind. "and besides, I could say the same thing about you and your sisters."

Buttercup felt her legs freeze up and she abruptly stopped, causing Butch to smack into her.

"How do you know about them?"

The armor wearing man only gave her a dark grin. "Like I said: I know many things about you my pet. You're vital to everything around here."

Buttercup shook her head at his cryptic answer, and instead opted to look at the man behind her closely. Butch quirked an eyebrow at her inspection of him. "What? See something you like?"

"Where you really in Wonderland when I was younger?"

Butch placed a hand over his heart and feigned mock hurt. "Why Buttercup, you wound me. Don't you remember me?"

"Evidently not, otherwise I wouldn't be asking."

The obsidian haired man chuckled before giving her a nod of conformation. "Yes, I was here in Wonderland when you first came here, along with everyone else." Buttercup frowned. "Odd, I don't remember ever seeing you."

"You did. We used to spend a great deal of time together." Butch assured her as he moved to stand beside her. "I don't blame you for not recognizing me now – I've taken on a much different form as of late."

"Which leads me back to my original question: what exactly are you?"

The dark-haired man only shook his head. "All in due time my pet." Buttercup scowled as she brought the Vorpal blade out from the waistband of her skirt. "When exactly is that then? I'd like to know before I have to go fight this Red King." She sighed as she carelessly waved the large knife through the air, only for Butch to recoil at the sight of it.

"Where the hell did you get that?!" he snarled as his eyes became as big as dinner plates. Buttercup frowned as she looked at the deadly knife in her hand. "This? The Cat gave it to me when I first arrived here, why?"

"Careful where you're swinging that thing." Butch growled as he backed up slightly from her. "I thought I got rid of it long ago – I don't know where he found it."

"Oh, well I assumed that I'm meant to kill the King with it if this Jabberwocky decides to be cooperative – whatever that means." the lime eyed woman muttered as she toyed with the ornate blade, then she frowned. "Why did you get rid of it in the first place?"

"Let's just say that thing you're holding isn't a toy. It's one of the most powerful weapons that Wonderland has to offer." The armor-clad man informed her as he eyed the blade. "It's deadlier than it looks, believe me."

"Do you think that it will be strong enough to help me defeat the King? Boomer mentioned that this will work on the Jabberwocky, but It's the King I'm more concerned about." Buttercup prodded, causing Butch to shrug wearily. "It's going to take a lot more than a knife to take down my old man, but it should do some damage, yes."

"Well that's good enough for me then." Buttercup nodded. "All I want to do is defeat this King and his Jabberwocky, save Wonderland and then go back home. Hopefully this little adventure into my psych will bring me some closure." She tucked the Vorpal blade back into its spot in her waistband as a small frown tugged at her lips.

"If I'm to go off what Bloss- sorry, I mean the Queen of Hearts… or the Red Queen, or whatever she calls herself these days – was telling me earlier. Apparently according to the cat, the King is linked to me in some way – like he's supposed to represent something, but I have no idea what it could be – same with the Jabberwocky actually."

"Well the good news is that you'll be able to ask him yourself." Butch rumbled. "What do you mean?" Buttercup asked curiously, only for Butch to let out a humorless chuckle as he pointed to a massive castle, with twisted, pointed towers jetting up into the dark red sky, that was slowly coming into view on the horizon ahead of them.

"Because that's where he lives."


End file.
